Fast action shifting device



United States Patent 7 3,008,564 FAST ACTION SHIFTING DEVICE Eino E.Lakso, Fitchburg, Mass., assignor to The Lakso Company Incorporated,Fitchburg, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 31, 1958,Ser. No. 784,132 9 Claims. (Cl. 19831) This invention relates to a newand improved extreme 1y fast acting shifting device which in this caseis particu' larly adapted to a gate for dividing a high speed singleline of on-coming articles to either of two or more different selectedpaths for the purpose of counting the articles and packaging the same.As an illustration, the invention may be used for a packaging apparatusfor tablets, pills, etc., and for any small articles.

In devices of this nature, it is very diflicult to obtain an automaticproper count of the articles which are to be packaged. It is clearlynecessary to havefatleast one hundred tablets in a bottle which containsa label to the effect that there are one hundred tablets therein, but itis very diflicult to present exactly one hundred tablets at eachfilling, and if the counting apparatus operates a few .milli-seconds tooslow, the error may be great enough to provide anywhere from e.g.,ninety-seven to one-hundred and-three tablets. One reason for this isthat modern packaging machines operate at a very high speed.

This invention provides for an extremely accurate count by shifting agate substantially instantaneously with the passage of the one hundredtharticle, or whatever the unit of measurement is, past a given point; andthe gate will snap over so that the'one hundred and first article etseq. will take a different selected path from that of the previouspredetermined number of articles.

In carrying out the present invention, use is made of a commercialelectronic counting device made by Veeder- Root Co., in combination witha photo-electric head which is interrupted by the passage ofthearticles, regardless of the high speed thereof, said electroniccounting ,device accumulating a charge so that whenever the onehundredth article in any series has passed the photo-electric device, aninstantaneous relatively small charge is emitted from the counter, thissmall charge being suflicient to actuate an electric'device for causingactuation of the gate within the space of a very few'milli-seconds. v

The invention also contemplates the use of a trigger device which issubstantially instantaneously operated by the charge of the electroniccounter above referred to, said trigger device being pre-loaded so thatupon being released, it is instantly transferred from one location toanother, thereby mechanically operating the gate; and the provision ofelectrically operated and timed means for preloading the trigger meansin each position so that it is ready for uniform actuation thereof uponbeing released by'the electronic counter-operated device.

The invention further relates to arrangements and 3,008,564 PatentedNov. 14, 1961 lines, each of which receives exactly one-half of thenumber of articles on the belt, these two lines being appropriatelymoved forwardly in separate alleys or troughs indicated at 16 and 18respectively. The separating gate is illustrated generally by thereference numeral 20, and it will be seen in FIG. 1 that it is operatedby means of a yoke 22 connected to an arm 24 of what amounts to a bellcrank adapted to oscillate on an upright shaft 26 in a boss 27. As theyoke moves right and left in FIG. 1, the separating gate 20 will bemoved between'dotted and solid line representations thereof in order toshift the oncoming articles 10 to one side or the other toenter theappropriate trough 16 or 18. v

A photo-electric head generally indicated at 28 and perhaps best showndiagrammatically in FIG. 4, provides a beam optically directed to a verysmall area intermediate the two ends of the head, thesebeing indicatedat 30 and 32, so that as each article passes the head and interrupts thelight, an electronic device is actuated in the commercial electronic.counter generally indicated by the reference numeral 34.

This counter is a commercial device made by Veeder Root Co. and is wellknown in the art. Its function is to discharge electrically upon thecompletion of a certain predetermined number of impulses from thephotoelectric head, such impulses being occasioned bythe passage'of thearticles or tablets 10 past the head. These electronic counters may beset to be actuated at an adjustable predetermined number of impulsesfrom the head.

The electronic computer 34 is connected to operate a solenoid which isshown diagrammatically in FIG. 4 and indicated by the reference numeral36. This solenoid is shown mechanically in FIG. 2 and when it isactuated it pulls a link 38 to the right. This link in this caseoscillates a link 40, the latter being spring-pressed as at 42 tonormally maintain a left-hand position (FIG. 2), but being momentarilywithdrawn to the right upon the discharge of an, electric impulse fromthe electronic counter after each selected unit or number of articleshas passed the photoelectric head 28. Arm 40 may be pivoted convenientlyas at 44 and is provided with a small projection 46 which cooperateswith a similar projection 48 on a swinging oscillatory element 50. Thiselement 50 is mounted to in turn oscillate a shaft 52 directly connectedto the yoke 22, the upper end of which is seen in dotted lines inFIG. 1. i The oscillating element 50 is provided with a pair of hornssuch as at 54 and these may be concave to alternately accommodate-aroller 58 on the end of a plunger 60 mounted telescopingly for instancein an oscillating sleeve 62 and projected by a compressive spring 64constantly in a directionto engage combinations of parts which will behereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appendedclaims.

Reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which: i f

FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing the device;

FIG. 2 is an elevational'view on line 22 of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is 'a section on line33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the photoelectric countingdevice.

Although this invention may be applied to operate any kind of devicewhich might be desired or convenient to the inventive concept herein, itis here shown as applied to a line of articles 10 which are traveling ata very high rate of ,SPeed on the belt 12,. movingin the direction ofarrow 14 in FIG. 1, and separatingthe same into two the concave portions54, 54 of said horns.

It will therefore be seen with the mechanism set as in. FIG. 2, andprojection 46 engaging projection 48, the element 50 is held thereby inthe position shown, against the action of the spring 64 which is tendingto move element 50 in a clockwise direction, Therefore, when the link 40is withdrawn to the right, under influence of solenoid 36, andfreeing'projection 48 and thereby member 50, the spring 64 acts onplunger 60 to snap member 50 from theposition shown in FIG. 2 to anopposed inclined position sufiicient to turn shaft 52, yoke 22, etc., tomove the gate from the solid line to the dotted line position in FIG. 1.V The reverse action is'also accomplished in exactlythe same way but inthis case projection 48 is naturally now 3 means for oscillating themember 62 and this is donein this case by means of a pair of solenoidswhich are indicated at 66 and 68, these being connected by respectivelinks 70, 72 to the member 62, which is pivoted at 74.

Solenoids 66 and 68 are operated in timed relation to the passage of thearticles by any kind of automatic switch means 76 which may be desiredor convenient. In this case there is shown a cam 78' which operates theswitch and a like cam or the same one'may be used to actuate solenoid68. In any event, these solenoids are electrically operated and areplaced in timed relation to the passage of the units of articles. Theoperation of these solenoids is not particularly critical, as they mayoperate as stated at any time between the passage from start to finishof the particular number of articles which are to be transferred to onechute or the other at 16-, 18. It isfonly necessary that the plunger 60be inposition and spring-loaded in order to snap the oscillating element50 from one position to the other substantially instantaneously uponrelease of projection 48 by'projection 46 no matter whether theoscillating element 50 is set to move clockwise or counter-clockwise.

The solenoid at 36 is a direct-current solenoid but those at 66 and 68may be operated by alternating cur rent, and it is particularlyemphasized that the electric charge by the electronic counter 34 issufficient toactuate the solenoid 36 instantaneously upon the passage ofthe, say fifty or one hundred articles, so that the spring 64 thenoperates 'the'os'cillating device 50 also substantially instantaneously.v

It is pointed out that the invention above described pro.- vides aconstruction which is as accurate and as quick an acting device as maybe made, for the reason that if a direct charge from the counte'r 34 isnotused directly onto the D.C.- solenoid'3 6, then the delay in theaction of sum solenoid (or any A.C. solenoid) is such as to cause avariation in the time element which will cause a variation in the actionof the separating gateand a consequent variation in the numberpfarticles counter; However, the spring 64' is'always loaded to the samedegree'and it is asi'ngl'e member'which operates'thesame in bothdirections in order to spring load the oscillating gate actuator member50. Variations in the solenoids66 an 68 are ini'material'because they donot act upon the gate directly in any way at all but merely move themember 60 to exposition where it becomes spring-loaded to exactly thesame degree for each actuation of the device, as is necessary toaccompnsn'an accurate actuation of the separating gate for each numberof articles that it is desired to be separated;

Having thus described'my invention a'ndthe advantages thereof, I as notwish to be limited to the details'h'erein disclosed, otherwise'than asset forth in the claims, but what Ienim is:

1. A device of the class described comprisingmeans for rapidly moving inline a series of articles,"rneans counting the articles, a swinginggate-like elementfor directings-aid line of articles in predeterminednumbers in 'a'plurality of directions from said original line, and meansto actuate said gate-like element comprising a movable memberconnectedto the element, a springloaded plunger bearing onsaid movablememb'er andadapted to move the same in a predetermined direction, saidplunger'being movable to engage a difierent portion of said member tomove it in another direction, releasable means holding said memberagainst motion in any direction, and means to operate said holding meansto release the same substantially instantaneously upon the passage of acertain predetermined number of articles past said counting means. i

2. A device of the class described'comprising means for rapidlymoving inline a series'of articles, means counting the articles, a swinginggate-like element for directing said line of articles in predeterminednumbers in a plurality of directions from said original line, and

means to actuate said gate-like element comprising a movable memberconnected to the element, a springloaded plunger bearing on said movablemember and adapted to move the same in. a predetermined direction, saidplunger being movable to engage a different portion of said member tomove it in another direction,- releasable means holding said memberagainst motion in-any direction, and means to operate said holding meansto release the same substantially instantaneously u'pon the passage of acertain predetermined number of articles past said counting means, andmeans operatively arranged between the counting means and the releasingmeans to actuate the latter after the predetermined number of articleshas passed the counting means.

3. A device of the class described comprising means for rapidly movingin line a series of articles, means counting the articles, a swinginggate-like element for directing said line of articles inpredeterinined'numbers in a plurality of directions from said originalline, and means to actuate said gate-like element comprising a movablemember connected to the element, a springloaded plunger bearing on saidmovable member and adapted to move the same in a predetermineddirection, said plunger being movable to engage a difierent portion ofsaid member to move it in another direction, releasable means holdingsaid member against motion in any direction, and means to operate saidholding means to release the same substantially instantaneously upon thepassage of a certain predetermined number of articles past said countingmeans, and means operatively arrangedv between the counting means andthe releasing means to actuate the latter after the predetermined numberof articles has passed the counting means, and means for moving theplunger in timed relation to the actuation of the movable member.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the last-named means includes solenoidsconnected to the plunger.

5. A device of theclass described comprising means providing for asingle line of articles to advance seriatim, a shifta'ble elementdirecting said articles into a plurality of paths, means to shift saidelement accurately and quickly upon the passage past a certain point ofa certain predetermined number of said articles, an oscillatory memberconnected to said elementfor moving it,- an oscillatory plungerincluding a spring-loaded member engaged'with a certain portion of saidoscillatory member and constantly tending to move the same in adirection to move the shiftable element in either direction, meansholding said oscillatory member against the action thereof, and meansfor releasing said holding means upon the passage of a predeterminednumber of said articles.

6. A device of the class described comprising means providing for asingle line of articles to advance seriati-m, a shiftable elementdirecting said articles into a plurality of paths, means to shift saidelement accurately and quickly upon the passage past a certain point ofa certain predetermined number of said articles, an oscillatory memberconnected to said element for moving it, an oscillatory plungerincluding a spring-loaded member engaged with a certain portion of saidoscillatory member and constantly tending to move the same in adirection to actuate the shiftable element from one position to another,means holding said oscillatory member against the action thereof, meanfor releasing said holding means upon the, passage of a predeterminednumber of said articles, and means shifting said spring-loaded plungerand its member to again engage said oscillatory member to tend to movethe same in a reverse direction, said holding means being actuated tohold the oscillatory member against the action ofsaid spring-loadedplunger until the releasing means is once more actuated;

7. The combination of a movable gate-like element and means to 'move thesame, said means comprising an oscillatory member, means mountingthemernbe'r on its oscillatory axis, spring-loaded means engaging themem;

ber in positions of the member wherein it is ready to be oscillated bythe spring-loaded means, and means holding said member against theaction of said spring-loaded means, with means to release said holdingmeans, said releasing means comprising a direct-current solenoid andmeans to actuate the same, said last-named means comprising anelectronic counter deriving its action from a photo-electric headadapted to count the progress of a moving line of articles, said movablegate-like element being moved to shift a certain predetermined number ofsaid articles into different paths.

8. In a device of the class described, means for progrossing a line ofaligned articles in single file past a given point, electric meanscounting the same, a swinging gate-like element for dividing said singleline of articles into a plurality of lines, and means to operate saidgate-like element comprising an oscillatory member, a pair of abutmentsthereon in mutually spaced relation, a plunger, a spring for saidplunger moving the same toward said oscillatory member in generalbetween said two abutments, means for locating said plunger against oneor the other abutment selectively, thus in effect springloading theoscillatory member to tend to cause it to move in one direction or theother, a releasable stop, means on said oscillatory member and inengagement with the releasable stop holding the oscillatory memberreleasably in either position of extreme oscillation thereof, and "meansto actuate the stop to release the oscillatory member.

9. In a device of the class described, means for progressing a line ofaligned articles in single file past a given point, electric meanscounting the same, a swinging gate-like element for dividing said singleline of articles into a plurality of lines, and means to operate saidgate-like element comprising an oscillatory member, a pair of abutmentsthereon in mutually spaced relation, a plunger, a spring for saidplunger moving the same toward said oscillatory member in generalbetween said two abutments, means for locating said plunger against oneor the other abutment selectively, thus in eflfect spring-loading theoscillatory member to .tend to cause it to move in one direction or theother, a releasable stop, means on said oscillatory member and inengagement with the releasable stop holding the oscillatory memberreleasably in either extreme of its oscillatory motion, and means tomove said plunger from one abutment toward the other in timed relationsubsequently to the stopping action of the releasable stop.

Jefirey Jan. 27, 1942 Roop May 15, 1954

